HIGH:Making an instant impact

THE YEAR IN REVIEWBURROUGHS

Burroughs football team leads way for Indians in successful school year

June 23, 2007|By Jeff Tully

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a four-part series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the four local high schools over the past school year. This installment is Burroughs High:

It was apparent just months into the 2006-07 school year that Burroughs High was going to make an impact in the Pacific League.

After decades playing in the tough Foothill League, the Indians teams got off to a fine start against their new opponents. During the fall season, five of Burroughs' six teams qualified for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

One of those teams — the Indians football squad — even won a Pacific League championship, the school's first in its new league. It was the program's first crown in 25 years.

Although the school didn't win another title during the school year, Burroughs did feature its share of fine athletes and winning teams during the 2006-07 campaign.

Here is a closer look at some of those athletes and teams:

FALL SEASON

Right out of the gate, the Burroughs football team served notice it was a squad that was going to be tough to beat.

The Indians rolled to nonleague wins against Schurr, 21-7, and Harvard-Westlake, 35-31, before falling in a close contest to St. Francis, 24-21.

Burroughs won all of its Pacific Leagues games to win claim its first league title since 1981. Unfortunately for the Indians — who were ranked No. 1 in the Central Division — they fell in the first round of the playoffs to Moreno Valley, 21-19.

Burroughs (9-2, 7-0 in league) was paced by senior running back Joe Wiggan. The league offensive player of the year set school records for yards in a season (1,933) and points in a season (158). He carried the ball 292 times, had a 6.62 yards-per-carry average and scored 26 touchdowns. He had games in which he gained 288, 262, 244, 238 and 237 yards.

The Indians also had the league's offensive lineman of the year in Bryan Arceo, the defensive lineman of the year in Nick Bryant and the coach of the year in Keith Knoop. The three players, along with senior linebacker Keith Recchia, were also earned All-CIF honors.

The school's cross-country teams also had fine seasons, as both the girls' and boys' squads finished third in league and advanced to the CIF Southern Section I preliminaries.